 |
Beware of impostors at the door
 |
Toronto Star- What if someone comes to your door, trying to sell you a new vacuum cleaner? Will you bite?
If you have a vacuum cleaner that works, you probably tell the salesman to move along and leave you alone.
Some door-to-door sellers have found a way to turn a “No” into a “Yes” by making you believe they’re not selling anything at all. Here’s how it works.
They come to your door wearing a uniform of some kind — such as hard hat, boots and reflective vest — and talking about working with the local gas or hydro company.
They have to make sure your rented water heater is safe and energy efficient. Can they do a quick inspection?
Once they’re in your home, they can say the water heater must be replaced because it’s dangerously unsafe. Or it’s wasting energy, forcing up your utility bills.
You agree to a replacement because you think you’re dealing with someone qualified to inspect water heaters, a licensed technician — not, heaven forbid, a door-to-door salesman.
This scam has gone on for a while. It tends to heat up in the summer months.
Complaints and inquiries about rental water heater agreements jumped into third place on the Ontario consumer ministry’s Top 10 list last year — shooting ahead of motor vehicle purchases and sales.
(Complaints about collection agencies are still No. 1 in Ontario, followed by home renovations and repairs.)
Older seniors are especially susceptible to aggressive water heater pitches. Their adult children often ask me to sort out the bills.
Cheryl Charbonneau, for example, said her mother-in-law had replaced her rented water heater three times since 2009 after being told it was unsafe.
The woman, in her late 70s, didn’t realize each new water heater came with a long-term contract. The salespeople hadn’t told her and she hadn’t read the agreements.
At one point, she was getting bills from three companies at the same time. One company told her she could lose her house if she didn’t pay for 10 years, Charbonneau says.
Melanie Pineda, who contacted me last week, also had a disturbing story. She’s a pregnant mother of three boys under 5.
“A salesperson came to my door, saying his company had been called in by Enbridge Gas to inspect all the water heaters in our neighbourhood because they had rust issues.
“He came downstairs, found rust and told us we needed a replacement as soon as possible. Two days later, a shoddy installer came with a water heater and a young assistant.
“Now we’re left with leaking, a big puddle and a water shutdown. We need water to drink and bathe with. We called for service and we’re waiting.”
The company fixed her water heater later the same day after she contacted the Better Business Bureau. It reduced her contract to five years (from 10), but wouldn’t let her out of the deal despite the alleged misrepresentation.
Enpure Home Comfort, the firm she dealt with, didn’t respond to my email and phone inquiries. Its name came up again when a homeowner told me about a rented water heater that he’d inherited.
Rakesh Kumar Verma took possession of his home on June 7 after negotiating the sale in February. His agreement said the water heater was rented from Direct Energy.
Contemplating a renovation after he moved in, he called Direct Energy to ask about venting. That’s when he heard the tank was returned on June 2.
“The previous owner had signed with Enpure on May 27, since he thought he was dealing with Enbridge. He wasn’t told that a contract was involved.”
Verma is now locked into a 10-year contract unless he pays $1,050 to cancel early. If he keeps it, he has to pay $300 to change to a power-vented unit. And he can’t get a copy of the agreement signed by the previous owner.
Beware of high-pressure tactics by impostors. Ask for photo ID with their name and company affiliation before listening to a word of their pitch.
379 page views
|
|
|
|